The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-05-03
And Ben had been Ill and too proud

They took the evening train. At the
depot some or their friends had gath
cred TO hear the news.
OF each and all, they asked the same
question.
"Hev you ever heerd of Nsstalgy"
And none of them had ever heard OF
it, but all agreed that it must be a
dreadful thing to have such difficult
name.
When they reached the city they had
cried and worried themselves sick.
At least the two women had. The
father. with the stOicism of his kind,
had beat constant tattoo on the car
window and whistled an sccOmpani-
ment-aH the time he was cryingin his
heart:
'sOh, Absalomi my son! my son."
There was no one to meet them, as
no one was interested in their coming
except Ben and the doctor, and they
neither of them had heaRl of their in
tentiOns.
So they went at once to the place
where Ben boarded. dreary house,
with innumerable small, ill-ventilated
rooms, where for the entire sum that he
earned weekly Ben ConnOyer was per-
mitted to lodge.
The doctor had made his hospital
rounds that night and his last call was
on Ben. He was young physician,
and very Jealous over his patients. He
took an interest in the handsome,
whole-sOuled country boy who was un-
accustomed to close rooms and sewer
gas and lonely hours, and SO wrote
that letter to his mother.
And as they stood OH the step ring
ing the grumbling bell he walked ur
and soon discovered who they were,
and made himself known.
"Oh, Doctor, is there any hope?
doctor, UiH my boy get welle
doctor. is he still alive?"
These were the questions that were
poured into the doctors ears.
How very unfeeling of him to laugh
why, there is nothing in this world
the matter with him! As i wrote yOl
it's only bad case of nostalgia. !" r.
Doctor said the father sternly
"put that ere word in plain English!
"Oh. / see," laughed the doctor
at is the medical term for homeSick
ness"
And that was all that allied the boy
A good deal of mental longing anC
worry had brought on fever, and Bei
was fast becoming really i'll, but the sym
pathetic young doctor had diagnosed
his case correctly. He was soldie
who was not sick from any fatal mai
adv. He was hOmesick.
Now that we're here Wen stay ans
see the sights, Sary Ann" Mr.. Con
mover said to his wife, "and you Cal
coddle Ben all you want to-"
And Ben was very willing to be cod
died. But it was strange that after ex
planning that big medical word, tn
doctor still kept coming. Ii worries
the old couple little. because the
thought Ben. must be in danger afte
all.
But it was the doctor who was i
danger now. He had transferred hi
interest in the brother to the sister
And no word was big enough TO dag
nose has case.
But it all came out right. Only Be
must have tonics and directions, an
at last the doctor went out there an
established practice, leaving out tn
Latin words.
And he right. There is no NOR
insidious disease than homesicknes'
When the Swiss sOldiers-the brave.
fighters in the world-hear the familia
RAM des baches they lean on their Ca
bines and weep for their loved glacier
and mountain pines, and often die {
that hidden wound of the heart-whos
classical name is nostalgia, and whic
freely translated means sickness f.
home. Detroit Free Press"